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Review: Sugardew Island’s Intriguing Shop System Doesn’t Save It
Sugardew Island may have a name that is quite similar to a certain other farming sim, but it actually takes direct inspiration from the Nintendo DS lineup of Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons games. In the end, Sugardew Island fails to live up to those titles, but it does at least offer some enjoyment with the intriguing shop system it has. The colorful, bright, and cheery 3D vibes of Sugardew Island aren’t the most original. You could certainly put this game next to a few others and it would be a challenge for those unfamiliar with the genre to tell them apart. However, the more derivative style of this game is far from the main issue when it comes to how it looks and plays. Screenshot by Siliconera I played Sugardew Island on Nintendo Switch and the Switch version struggles considerably both in the resolution and performance departments. The resolution is pretty awful, resulting in fuzziness and rough edges around the environments and characters, even in handheld mode where it looks the best. This is a shame since this is the type of cozy game that should look fine on Switch, yet it wouldn’t look out of place on the 3DS. Then there is the performance. The general frame rate is a bit lackluster, presumably because of being on the Switch, but this goes beyond platform as well. Sugardew Island, in general, is a rather slow and prodding farming experience. Every action takes just a tad too long to do, like chopping at a tree, or watering a plant. While this fraction of a second of extra time for each action isn’t much on its own, it starts to add up over time as you do chores. I think most of this slowness comes from the ever-so-slight lack of responsiveness. This is best seen while holding the sprint button. Normally, this would be a welcome feature, especially when games like Stardew don’t even have that option. However, turning directions while sprinting is sluggish and awkward, which is a good representation of the overall gameplay. What makes or breaks a farming sim for me is how everything feels. Unfortunately, Sugardew Island lacks the responsive gameplay that I expect. Then there is the matter with the overall progression system. There is a semblance of some sort of storyline at play, but it is as forgettable as can be. Screenshot by Siliconera Having different islands and objectives to upgrade those islands and unlock rewards is, surprisingly, a neat and straightforward system. What is a shame about this is that the tasks to complete them aren’t nearly as rewarding. For one, there are so few characters to meet and the world is one of the least interesting I’ve played in the genre. While there might be romance available, it’s not a game I would play long enough to explore. It is a shame because there is some level of promise and uniqueness. If there is a feature I want in my dream farming sim, it is a shop management system. I am obsessed with the TCG Card Shop Simulator and Supermarket Simulator-style games right now. Interestingly enough, Sugardew Island does include its own mini version of these games. Instead of the usual shipping box like in other farming sims, you make money by selling your crops in your own shop. Every day, you fill the counters with items you want to sell. Then, when you’re ready, you open up shop and sell them to interested customers. You can even haggle prices sometimes. Overall, it is a neat part of this experience and by far my favorite part. Screenshot by Siliconera In fact, a majority of my time in Sugardew Island was just planting crops to then sell them in the shop. This is the most fun I had with the experience. This is why it is so sad that it is still only a fraction of the experience. You can only open your shop once per day and it closes once you run out of items. There is just enough depth here that I wish the rest of the game lived up to. In the end, Sugardew Island is an almost entirely forgettable farming sim. The dated visuals, lack of responsiveness, and awkward gameplay makes it hard to recommend. That said, there is still something special in the shop management system, which is a (brief) joy to use. It’s a shame the rest of Sugardew Island fails to match the shop’s level of enjoyment. Sugardew Island is available right now for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The post Review: Sugardew Island’s Intriguing Shop System Doesn’t Save It appeared first on Siliconera.
Sugardew Island may have a name that is quite similar to a certain other farming sim, but it actually takes direct inspiration from the Nintendo DS lineup of Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons games. In the end, Sugardew Island fails to live up to those titles, but it does at least offer some enjoyment with the intriguing shop system it has.
The colorful, bright, and cheery 3D vibes of Sugardew Island aren’t the most original. You could certainly put this game next to a few others and it would be a challenge for those unfamiliar with the genre to tell them apart. However, the more derivative style of this game is far from the main issue when it comes to how it looks and plays.
I played Sugardew Island on Nintendo Switch and the Switch version struggles considerably both in the resolution and performance departments. The resolution is pretty awful, resulting in fuzziness and rough edges around the environments and characters, even in handheld mode where it looks the best. This is a shame since this is the type of cozy game that should look fine on Switch, yet it wouldn’t look out of place on the 3DS.
Then there is the performance. The general frame rate is a bit lackluster, presumably because of being on the Switch, but this goes beyond platform as well. Sugardew Island, in general, is a rather slow and prodding farming experience. Every action takes just a tad too long to do, like chopping at a tree, or watering a plant. While this fraction of a second of extra time for each action isn’t much on its own, it starts to add up over time as you do chores.
I think most of this slowness comes from the ever-so-slight lack of responsiveness. This is best seen while holding the sprint button. Normally, this would be a welcome feature, especially when games like Stardew don’t even have that option. However, turning directions while sprinting is sluggish and awkward, which is a good representation of the overall gameplay.
What makes or breaks a farming sim for me is how everything feels. Unfortunately, Sugardew Island lacks the responsive gameplay that I expect. Then there is the matter with the overall progression system. There is a semblance of some sort of storyline at play, but it is as forgettable as can be.
Having different islands and objectives to upgrade those islands and unlock rewards is, surprisingly, a neat and straightforward system. What is a shame about this is that the tasks to complete them aren’t nearly as rewarding. For one, there are so few characters to meet and the world is one of the least interesting I’ve played in the genre. While there might be romance available, it’s not a game I would play long enough to explore.
It is a shame because there is some level of promise and uniqueness. If there is a feature I want in my dream farming sim, it is a shop management system. I am obsessed with the TCG Card Shop Simulator and Supermarket Simulator-style games right now. Interestingly enough, Sugardew Island does include its own mini version of these games.
Instead of the usual shipping box like in other farming sims, you make money by selling your crops in your own shop. Every day, you fill the counters with items you want to sell. Then, when you’re ready, you open up shop and sell them to interested customers. You can even haggle prices sometimes. Overall, it is a neat part of this experience and by far my favorite part.
In fact, a majority of my time in Sugardew Island was just planting crops to then sell them in the shop. This is the most fun I had with the experience. This is why it is so sad that it is still only a fraction of the experience. You can only open your shop once per day and it closes once you run out of items. There is just enough depth here that I wish the rest of the game lived up to.
In the end, Sugardew Island is an almost entirely forgettable farming sim. The dated visuals, lack of responsiveness, and awkward gameplay makes it hard to recommend. That said, there is still something special in the shop management system, which is a (brief) joy to use. It’s a shame the rest of Sugardew Island fails to match the shop’s level of enjoyment.
Sugardew Island is available right now for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
The post Review: Sugardew Island’s Intriguing Shop System Doesn’t Save It appeared first on Siliconera.
